No Apple TV for 2012 Yet Says Analyst

Mark Moskowitz of investment bank JP Morgan stated that Apple is unlikely to release a connected television set later this year. This is contrary to previous reports that such device would arrive this year. However, the analyst also speculated that the company may introduce “iPay,” a mobile payment platform.

Strained Economics for TV Industry

In a note to investors that was submitted last Thursday, Moskowitz said that Apple does not indicate any looming TV-related product launch. That’s because the TV industry is experiencing economic strain, which makes the condition inappropriate to release a television this year.

The analyst pointed out:

“We are not sure that the Apple premium could prevail in the TV market, unless there is a radical change of the user interface, integration of the TV programming and data content, and use of gesture or voice control.”

Although the company released a minor update for its Apple TV to support 1080p video playback last spring, the analyst believe that the device would not arrive until next year. The product is said to get potential features such as advanced set top box capabilities, DVR capabilities, gaming console options and universal remote capabilities through Siri or gestures.

Regardless, the patent filing created by the company details their efforts to apply in-plane switching technology to larger flat-screen format. This could be taken as evidence that they could offer an improved picture quality over televisions already available in the market.

Their scales and display investment could enable them to provide “Retina Display quality in a large flat-screen format.” In addition, their unparalleled industrial design techniques provide them another advantage in building a successful television.

Apple iPay

After voicing his skepticism about the rumored Apple TV, Moskowitz said that he’s more confident with the company releasing a mobile payment platform. He dubbed the service as “iPay” and suggested that it could make use of Near Field Communication technology in future iPhone or iPad. NFC chips have been rumored to be incorporated in Apple handset for years, but nothing has materialized yet. The analyst stated:

“Currently, we do not have any evidence of an iPay platform in development, but it is our view that the company’s current Apple Store app that enables consumers to check themselves out of an Apple Retail Store could be the stepping stone.”

Although there could be hurdles in working with other financial institutions and credit card company, Moskowitz quickly added that the prospects of a “pay with your own device model” are increasing. In fact, Google unveil its own NFC e-wallet service last year.